Fire Up the Grill and Crank Up the Music
It’s that time again! BBQ season is here, which means it’s time to invite your favorite people over for delicious eats and good company. Of course, no respectable summertime celebration would be complete without the proper summer jams. Here are our picks for the best backyard BBQ summer playlists.
Shuggie Otis – Strawberry Letter 23
This track’s undeniable groove may feel familiar, and with good reason. It’s one of the most sampled songs of all time. You’ve heard it behind Beyonce, Outkast, and too many others to count. But if you’ve never heard the original, you’re in for a real treat. It’s summertime music perfection.
Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run
When it comes to summertime BBQ music, no playlist would be complete without The Boss. We chose this blue-collar epic for our playlist, but Springsteen’s catalog is chock-full of red-blooded rock and roll hits.
Fela Kuti – Expensive Sh*t
The syncopated rhythms of Afro-beat pioneer Fela Kuti are just the thing to get the summer BBQ crowd dancing poolside after a big meal. This track may not be as popular as “Zombie,” but from the propulsive rhythms to the nasty horns, the fleet-footed guitar riffs to the incendiary call-and-response vocals, “Expensive Sh*t” fires on all cylinders.
Beach Boys – Don’t Worry Baby
“Don’t Worry Baby” has all the calling cards of a summertime anthem: sunny vocal harmonies, a feel-good chorus, and a beat that will have you bobbing your head for sure. Don’t worry, baby. This BBQ will turn out all right as long as this tune is on the playlist.
Dr. Dog – Heart It Races
Technically, this is an Architecture in Helsinki tune, and their version would be a strong choice for any BBQ playlist, but there’s just something special about Dr. Dog’s take on the song. Like every good cover, this version strays from the original in unpredictable and cool ways: the telephone backup vocals and the infectious, hard-panned guitar riff that kicks in at the halfway point make this one a treat to listen to every time.
John Fahey – Poor Boy Long Ways From Home
This traditional blues tune of unknown origin has been reinterpreted plenty of times over the years, by everyone from Mississippi John Hurt to Poison, but eccentric roots music icon John Fahey’s version is full of sunshine, with just enough melancholy to keep things interesting.
Django Reinhardt – Django’s Tiger
More than 60 years after his passing, gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt’s music still has the capacity to inspire and amaze. Take this barn-burner, for example. It’s got spirit, and the kiddos love it!
Outkast – So Fresh, So Clean
As the evening goes on and the BBQ turns into a dance party, you’ll need something to get the wallflowers moving. This song has the capacity to make just about anyone feel like the smoothest operator in the neighborhood.
Ratatat – Loud Pipes
This jam features vintage grime through a digital lens. With its sampled drums, analog synthesizers, and dangerous guitar harmonies, it’s a seriously poisonous groove certain to take hold of even the staunchest bench-warmers.
Christine is the Content Marketing Coordinator for Homes.com. She's a small town girl at heart, who currently lives in Norfolk, VA with her husband and their fur baby. When she's not working, she enjoys cooking, decorating, traveling, and binge watching Netflix. As a proud Virginia Tech alum, she also loves cheering on the Hokies!
